Editing Kevin Barron (section)

==Early life==
Kevin John Barron, the son of Richard and Edna Barron, was born on 26 October 1946 at [[Hazlewood Castle]], [[Tadcaster]], Yorkshire, and educated at [[Maltby Academy#History|Maltby Hall Secondary Modern School]], [[Ruskin College]], and the [[University of Sheffield]], where he earned a Diploma in Labour Studies in 1977, and was reportedly a member of [[Militant (Trotskyist group)|Militant]].<ref>Milne, Seumas (2004) ''[[The Enemy Within: The Secret War Against the Miners]]'' (3rd edition). Verso, London, p. 247.<!-- ISBN/ISSN needed --> An article by Barron appears on page 16 of 2 June 1978 issue of ''Militant''.</ref>

On leaving school in 1962, Barron became an electrician at the [[Maltby Main Colliery|Maltby colliery]]. He spent the next 23 years working in the coal industry. In 1982, he became president of the [[Rotherham]] [[Trades Union Congress]]. He was a member of the [[National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)|National Union of Mineworkers]] (NUM), which later expelled him for speaking out against Arthur Scargill. Once, on [[Picketing (protest)|picketing]] duty outside Maltby colliery, he was struck on the arm by a police baton. He successfully sued South Yorkshire Police for this. He was a political ally of [[Arthur Scargill]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2163370.stm Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040513212157/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2163370.stm |date=13 May 2004 }}, BBC.co.uk; accessed 16 June 2014.</ref>